Moving on
by tatteredphotograph
Summary: Aria had told him to move on. She had told herself to move on. He had listened, he always does. But, she just couldn't... One-shot!


**Hi, **

**I have always wanted to write something, but I just haven't been motivated enough. I'm sure someone else could have told this story way better than I have, but I tried... **** I hope you like it!**

**I also couldn't figure out how to put it line breaks. It just wouldn't show up when I posted this, so please ignore my silly Line Breaks... **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PLL or anything. **

_I need to move on, and so do you. _

The words kept running through her head. The words that she herself had said only a few months ago, but wasn't able to follow. The words that he had followed.

**LINE BREAK**

Aria Montgomery wasn't the one to mope around. She needed to move on, and in came Jake. Jake was sweet, patient, gorgeous, everything she would ever want. She thought she was enjoying herself. They were able to hold hands in public, leave his apartment at the same time, split a plate of fries; even her dad approved. There was one thing she didn't know yet though – Jake was no Ezra.

Aria had met Jake at the Brew. He was cute, they joked around a bit and instantly something clicked. He was a karate instructor and Aria had made it a routine to visit him during his lessons. She loved watching him teach the kids and she had picked up some moves herself.

This went on for a few weeks until one day she recognized a seven year old boy among the kids – Malcolm.

"Everyone welcome Malcolm!" Jake announced to his class. "His old teacher is sick and he will be joining us for a few weeks."

Aria wanted to run. She hadn't seen Malcolm ever since she broke up with Ezra and she was sure there would be questions. Malcolm continued to eye her throughout the lesson and once it was over, he came running towards her.

"Aria! Aria! Why don't you come see my dad anymore? He missed you. I missed you!"

His words tugged at Aria's heartstrings. How was she supposed to explain to the little boy that he was the reason for all of this misery? She just hugged him tight and told him that she has been busy and she'll visit soon. If only he knew how good of a liar she was...

Satisfied with her answer, Malcolm rushed off to the exit to meet his parents and that's when Aria saw them. Ezra and Maggie had come in to pick up Malcolm and they were holding hands. Their son excitedly talked about his lesson while they listened and laughed. Ezra had moved on, just like Aria had told him to. She couldn't believe it. It had only been a few weeks and he had already molded into his perfect little family. How could he forget Aria just like that? She was his soulmate.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jake voice, "Are you ready to head out?" That's when Aria realized that she was a hypocrite.

"Actually, I am feeling a little under the weather. I'm just going to head home," she explained to Jake and with that she took off following Ezra and his little family.

It took her everything she had to not break down and cry when she saw Ezra, Maggie and Malcolm head into the Chinese takeout restaurant – **their** Chinese takeout restaurant. Aria couldn't stand it anymore – she had been lying to herself. She had forced her mind to thinking she had moved on. But, her heart still hadn't. It couldn't. Ezra had had it since day one. What could she do though, she couldn't just go and break up his family. Ezra finally had a job, a son and a stable relationship, without all the "complications" as he would put it. She couldn't ruin that. She loved him too much. Aria turned around and ran to her mother's apartment. She needed her and she didn't care if her mom thought she was crazy for still being in love with Ezra Fitz.

**LINE BREAK**

Ella Montgomery was startled by a loud knock. As she went to open the door, she could hear quiet sobs coming from the other side. She quickly opened the door to reveal her distraught daughter, who she immediately engulfed in a hug.

"What's wrong Aria?"

"Ezra... Maggie... he moved on, mom," Aria barely got out between sobs.

"Isn't that what you wanted, honey? You moved on as well right?" Ella was confused. She knew Aria had loved Ezra, but Aria was seventeen and Ezra's life was too complicated for her to handle. For the past few weeks, Ella had thought that Aria had reached that conclusion and truly moved on.

"No mom, I didn't. I never could."

Ella didn't know what to do. Aria's life had become more complicated than her own. "If you two were meant to be, you will be together again. Just give it time," was all she could say. Aria hoped that were true, although she doubted it.

The next few weeks weren't easy for Aria. She came to a conclusion that it was going to be Ezra or no one. She broke up with Jake. She tried to spend more time with her friends, but that didn't go too well as they all had their significant others. She just needed "time" to come faster.

** LINE BREAK**

Aria stood outside Snooker's. She looked up at the building, contemplating whether she should go in or not. It'd bring back so many memories, but she needed it. It was all she could hold on to.

"Can I get a cheese burger, please?" Aria asked as she propped up onto the stool.

"You got it," replied the bartender as Aria was reminded of what happened a year and a half ago.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she heard a very familiar voice, "You alright down there?"

Aria's head shot up and she was staring into his deep blue eyes. "Ezra! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," replied Ezra, a hint of sadness in his eyes that Aria couldn't make out.

Aria felt tears threatening to pour out. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't exactly tell him that she was still in love with him, could she? She told him to move on.

Ezra could sense that something was bothering her. "Aria, what's wrong?" he asked, more seriously this time, scooting his stool closer to hers.

Aria took a deep breath. Maybe it was "time". "I couldn't move on, Ezra. There might be other guys like you, but they aren't you and..."

"Aria, I..."

"No, let me finish. I know you are with Maggie now and I am not going to try to get in your way, but you were my best friend Ezra and I just need you to know that I'll always love you," Aria finished, getting up to leave.

Ezra quickly caught her hand. "Aria, stop. I am not with Maggie. I can't love her. Maggie thought it would be a good idea to try and rekindle our relationship for Malcolm's sake. I thought that it might be good for me too. But, as Maggie soon realized, things were not working for us. Our romance was long finished. I was still in love with someone else because how could anyone fall out of love with Aria Montgomery?"

Aria's tears were now pouring down her cheeks. She launched herself into Ezra's arms and for the first time in months, she felt at home.

Aria stepped back from Ezra's embrace and frowned. "But, you still have things with Maggie that we could never have. She was your first love, first intimate relationship, she is the mother of your first born," Aria broke into tears again.

"Aria, look at me. First loves aren't always who you're destined to be with, Aria" Ezra replied wiping the tears off her cheeks. He needed her to know that she may not have been her first, but she is his last.

Aria smiled, "My first love is my forever".

And with that, Aria and Ezra found themselves restarting their relationship from where it began and history repeated itself in the bathroom.


End file.
